The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-06-03
A CIRCUS NOVELTY.
description of the Amusing Entertain
ments Given at the New Circus In Paris.

description of the Amusing Entertain
ments Given at the New Circus In Paris.
The new circus Is most remarka-
BILE novelty. 1t combines gymnastics
and aquaties. II exhibits both riding
and swimming. II is the home of the
merman as well as of the centaur. In
appearance the new circus is like most
other circuses. The spectator takes
his seat on one of the series Of ciscling
benches which arise from the ring 10
The other walls of the building. The
Only peculiaiity Ia attract immediate
attention is the huge cocoa mat which
covers the ring In place of the usual
tan bark. The programme is divided
into three parts. and of these the first
two are not unlike those in other cir
euses. There is dog acrobat which
turns somersaults. and rolls barrel,
and stands on his fore-legs on sword.
ana shams dead. There Is clown who
exhibits performing pig, which il rid-
den by monkey, and which jumps over
hurdles and through n paper hoop.
There Is another clown. on whose par
ti-colored dress you note the arms of
Great Britain and the United States
A great many of the circus performers
one sees in Europe are Americans, and
the clowns always speak English.
There is n group of performing ele-
plants, the youngest of which wears
clowns hat There Is an acrobat who
hangs by his heels There are tiger
horses, exhibited by Nj. Loyal mighty
Percheron horses, strangely spotted
and striped. There is the usual assort-
nicnt of riders. doing the pad act and
the bareback act and the mdaege act.
After all these have been seen, the
ring is cleared The huge cocoa mat
is rolled into long cylinder. and a
queer four-wheeled truck Is drawn into
tn ring. astraddle of the rolled mat,
which is then strapped TO the truck.
All hands then pull away the truck and
its load through the entrance door and
out of sight Thus the bare boards of
the ring are exposed to view, and they
are seen to be pierced with numbcrless
holes. An,enormous glass globe con-
tanning powerful electric light Is neNt
placed Ia the center of the ring, which
1 Is then cleared. and its low doors are
closed. The interested spectator.
watching all these preparations. next
hears n sound of machinery, aud sees
/ the boards of the ring tremble little.
and then begin To- descend. There is a
4 sound of pouring water. and water
streams up through every hole in the
/ flooring. In less than IA minute the
/ flat ring has been changed To a deep
tank. the water If which is lighted and
m ade transparent hv the large electric
/ lamp. now descended to the bottom.
/ This sudden transformation is effected
I la ingenious machin ry. which pulls
down into the swimming tank the
framework of the iooring Of the ring.
Within the water there is suddenly
To be seen swimming figure. aud then
another and another and another be.
comes visible. until there are half 9
dozen who have most mysteiiously mp
/ peared. While the transformation !.
taking place the swimmers are in tll,
water just outside Of the ring and uu
der the audience. As soon as the floor
Of the ring has sunk to the bottom o
the tank. the swimmers. one after AN
other. dive under the cross braces ant
reveal themselves in the tank. 1t WA.
Prof. Johnson and his seven daughter.
Ian English family who gave tn,
aquatic entertainment on the evening
| spent at the New Circus. A larg,
mattress was placed in the center o
the tank. and spring-board at on
of the entrances. The gymnasts turn
ed somersaults from the spring-boart
tried 10 land on their feet on the mat
tress, whence they might walk ashore
dry-shod over the plank. Failing t,
reach the mattress. they were ducke,
iu the pond. II is easy 10 imagine wha
fun the clowns make out of their aquatic
misadventures and misfortunes.-Ar
thur Penn, ia Harper's Young People.